PI SCOOP ... DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION SOLICITS LOBBYISTS FOR PRICEY AD? A publisher promoting an “official” national convention magazine for Democratic National Committee, which rejects political contributions from registered lobbyists, has asked the American League of Lobbyists in an email and phone call to purchase an advertisement in its national convention magazine, the League confirms to PI. The ad ( http://bit.ly/K2r8Tk) for the “2012 Democratic National Convention Official Magazine,” being produced by the Connecticut-based H.O. Zimman Inc. publishing house, would cost between $15,000 and $25,000 depending on size. As of today, the company is also advertising the magazine on its website, using the official convention logo. It’s the standing policy of both the DNC and Barack Obama’s presidential campaign to not accept political contributions from registered federal lobbyists, although a magazine advertisement wouldn’t necessarily be considered such.

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DNC spokeswoman Melanie Roussell directed PI’s inquiries to convention officials, who told PI in a statement that “there is not an official convention program.” It continues: “Also, we did not authorize the use of our logo on their website and have asked them to take it down.” A representative from H.O. Zimman could not be reached for comment Friday. But in an email ( http://bit.ly/K7cf6s) this week to the league, a company representative writes that the league “may be interested in visibility to this powerful audience … the publication will have very limited advertising.”

American League of Lobbyists President Howard Marlowe, who’s publicly sparred with the Obama administration about its frequent statements deriding lobbyists, told PI that he’d like to take out an ad that tells Obama to “stop bashing lobbyists.” But such a statement in such a forum isn’t in the group’s budget, he said. “At least we know the DNC hasn’t totally sworn off asking registered lobbyists for money. Too bad,” Marlowe said. The convention is being conducted in early September in Charlotte, N.C.

ANALYSIS … NEW FORTUNE 500 FEATURES TOP LOBBYING POWERHOUSES — MOSTLY: The companies topping the newly released Fortune 500 list ( http://cnnmon.ie/K8RNmW) are frequently — but not always — among the nation’s top federal lobbying forces, a PI analysis concludes. To wit: Energy company ConocoPhillips is No. 4 on the Fortune 500 list, No. 6 among the nation’s top spenders last year on federal lobbying. General Electric placed sixth and second, respectively, while AT&T ranked 11th and eighth.

But take the No. 1 Fortune 500 company, ExxonMobil. It ranked No. 21 in terms of lobbying expenditures. For No. 2 Wal-Mart, it placed 51st in the lobbying game. Meanwhile, the lobbying expenditures of five Fortune 20 companies — mortgage giant Fannie Mae, Apple, Valero Energy, Bank of America and healthcare provider McKesson — failed to crack the nation’s Top 100 last year.

Below is a list of the Top 20 Fortune 500 companies, followed by 2011 ranking by federal lobbying expenditures, according to data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics:

1.) ExxonMobil (21)

2.) Wal-Mart (51)

3.) Chevron (39)

4.) ConocoPhillips (6)

5.) General Motors (29)

6.) General Electric (2)

7.) Berkshire Hathaway (37)

8.) Fannie Mae (N/A)

9.) Ford (68)

10.) Hewlett-Packard (76)

11.) AT&T (8)

12.) Valero Energy (N/A)

13.) Bank of America (N/A)

14.) McKesson (N/A)

15.) Verizon Communications (13)

16.) J.P. Morgan Chase (55)

17.) Apple (N/A)

18.) CVS Caremark (38)

19.) IBM (100)

20.) Citigroup (88)

OPENLY GAY FOR 25 YEARS, FRANK AND DEMS CELEBRATE WITH FUNDRAISER: Retiring Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has two things to celebrate this month. The lawmaker is marking the 25th anniversary of his coming out with a rooftop party at El Centro on May 30, a few weeks after President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to endorse gay marriage.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) and the DCCC’s Red to Blue Co-Chair Jared Polis (D-Colo.) are expected to be in attendance. Hosts include Ingrid Duran & Catherine Pino of D&P Creative Strategies, Steve Elmendorf of Elmendorf Ryan, Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign and Robert Raben of the Raben Group. The fundraiser will bring in $5,000 from hosts, $1,000 from sponsors and $250 from guests to benefit the DCCC. Frank and his longtime partner Jim Ready plan to marry this July in Massachusetts.

A sunny Friday to you, PI Nation, as we all prepare to fete those favorite ladies in our lives — our moms. Sure — they raised us, love us and shepherded us through this wild world in which we live. But to be sure: moms are also a notable political force. Take Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which for years has spent anywhere between $30,000 and $300,000 annually on federal lobbying efforts. And over the years, there have been mother-driven political committees of various stripes to pop into existence, from Mothers Against Bush during the 2004 presidential election cycle, to the more recent Students, Mothers and Concerned Citizens political action committee of Memphis, Tenn.

** A message from AHIP: Severing the individual mandate will harm health care affordability. State studies show when market reforms like those in the ACA aren’t linked to a mandate, it leads to higher premiums, no reduction in the uninsured and loss of consumer choice.

After giving your mom a big hug, be sure to brainstorm a good hint, tip or suggestion for PI, then send it to dlevinthal@politico.com and apalmer@politico.com. Please also follow us on Twitter, where we’re at @apalmerdc and @davelevinthal.

Finally, a happy belated birthday to Terry Holt — a partner at the HDMK communications and public affairs firm, who hit the big 5-0 this week.

Have a great weekend, and now, back to the day’s influence industry news …

PI’S WEEKLY STORM-THE-HILL ADVERTISING INDEX: From Belgium to Bulgaria, Slovenia to Slovakia and Germany to Greece, the European Union stands atop the victory podium in this week’s PI Storm-the-Hill Advertising Index, in which we track the pitches placed in the print editions of D.C.'s daily political papers — Roll Call, The Hill and POLITICO. The EU placed the equivalent of nine full-page ads, which promoted “Celebrate Europe Week 2012” and included advertorials about such topics as “organic agriculture in the European Union.” (Did you know that organic animal husbandry provides animals “with permanent access to open air, appropriate pasture and forage?”)

Close on the EU’s heels is austerity a coalition of 19 associations and organizations, including the American Insurance Association, National Association of Realtors and Financial Services Roundtable, which urged Congress with eight full-page advertisements to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program. The National Community Pharmacists Association placed six full-pagers, while a coalition of beverage companies, which includes Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Dr PepperSnapple, SunnyD and the American Beverage Association, placed five full-page ads in addition to a pair of small, front-page promotions. With five full-pagers this week: UnitedHealthcare, defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the Business Roundtable, D.C. area radio station WTOP-FM 103.5 and Savemymilitaryhealthcare.com, which is sponsored by the TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

PROMINENT DEMOCRATS FORM JOINT FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is joining forces with Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Senate candidates Bob Kerrey (Neb.) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) to form the Heartland Victory Fund 2012 joint fundraising committee, new federal filings show. A joint fundraising committee may raise money for any or all of its members, and distribute the collected money at its discretion, so long as it adheres to federal limits.

MORE ON REALTORS SUPER PAC: As PI noted Thursday ( http://politi.co/J5tLUm), the National Association of Realtors, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit corporation, was the lone donor in April to its sister super PAC, the National Association of Realtors Congressional Fund. And it donated in a major way, making one of the largest corporation-to-super PAC contributions since super PACs sprang into existence about two years ago. Realtors spokeswoman Sara Wiskerchen wrote PI with more details: “NAR’s super PAC was created to take advantage of the new flexibility allowed by Citizens United, which permits NAR to utilize corporate dollars in a tax efficient manner to complement our RPAC-funded electoral efforts. At this time, the super PAC is only for our own use, NAR is not soliciting contributions to it from other entities.”

JOHN EDWARDS TRIAL WATCH, DAY 15: A federal judge “refused to throw out campaign corruption charges against John Edwards on Friday, meaning the former presidential hopeful will have to present his case to a jury,” CBS reports. This follows 14 days of the prosecution presenting evidence and calling witnesses during the criminal proceedings in Greensboro, N.C., involving the former U.S. senator and presidential candidate. More details: http://cbsn.ws/IObQ5e

CHICKEN ‘N’ DUMPLINGS GALORE AT KAINE FUNDRAISER: Aflac PAC and Tom Jolly of Williams Mullen are hosting a luncheon fundraiser for Va. Senate candidate Tim Kaine on Wednesday at the 116 Club. The event will also draw the attention of Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.). One PI tipster is looking forward to the “Chicken 'n’ Dumplings,” which usually come on Wednesday at the 116. You can get some yourself for $2,500 for co-hosts, $1,000 for PACs and $500 for individuals.

U.S. CHAMBER’S EISENBERG TO MANUFACTURERS:Ross Eisenberg will join the National Association of Manufacturers as vice president for energy resources policy. Eisenberg comes to NAM from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where he was counsel on energy and environmental issues. Before that, Eisenberg worked as an attorney at Greenberg Traurig LLP representing companies on environmental and energy issues. “Eisenberg joins the NAM at a critical time when manufacturers find it 20 percent more expensive to operate in the United States compared to our largest trading partners,” NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said in a statement. “NAM members will greatly benefit from Eisenberg’s pro-growth energy policy experience and expertise. As part of the NAM team, Eisenberg will advocate for a real ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy that manufacturers need to stay competitive.”

COURTNEY STAFFER LEAVES FOR MILK PRODUCERS FEDERATION:John Hollay started at the National Milk Producers Federation on Monday as the new director of government relations. Hollay served as a legislative assistant for Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) for daily policy, agriculture, energy, environment and labor issues. He also played a lead role in helping to re-establish the Congressional Dairy Farmer Caucus.

PHARMACIST GROUP HIRES NEW GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER:Christine Sequenzia Titus, formerly a federal policy adviser for the Animal Welfare Institute and an aide to Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), has accepted a job as a government affairs manager at the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists. The pharmacists society has in recent years spent anywhere between $20,000 and $200,000 annually on federal lobbying efforts, congressional records show.

CONTRACTORS BUILDING GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS SHOP:Associated Builders and Contractors has promoted Kristen Swearingen to its senior director of legislative affairs. Previously, Swearingen worked as the group’s director of legislative affairs for health care, card check and other labor issues. Swearingen also once served as a staffer in the office of former Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.).

MILLIONAIRE EX-CONGRESSMEN LOBBYISTS DODGE PARTISAN BULLET: Former congressmen now making a fortune in the lobbying industry, take heed: your government pensions are safe. Not that they ever were really in jeopardy. Dave has the details on the U.S. House’s procedural shenanigans from Thursday: http://politi.co/JDtvQW

-- What does $100 million in super PAC spending look like? Russ Choma of the Center for Responsive Politics shows you: http://bit.ly/Lty4wb

NEW POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE FILINGS: None.

NEW LOBBYING FILINGS: None.

** A message from AHIP: There’s a link between market reforms and the individual mandate. As the nation awaits the Supreme Court’s decision on the health care reform law, it’s important to keep in mind that severing the individual mandate could have unintended consequences.

Independent experts, policymakers and elected officials have all recognized the inextricable link that market reforms like guarantee issue and community rating have to the law’s personal coverage requirement. Experience in eight states that enacted various forms of guarantee issue and community rating in the 1990s all showed what happens when these market reforms aren’t linked to a mandate: higher premiums, no reduction in the uninsured and loss of consumer choice.

There’s a link between market reforms in the ACA and the individual mandate. Discover important resources at http://bit.ly/thelinkahip and connect with us on Twitter at @ AHIPCoverage. **

** A message from the National Confectioners Association – #AlwaysATreat: We’ve always created transparent, fun, and great-tasting treats. By 2022, Mars Wrigley Confectionery, Nestlé USA, Ferrero, Lindt, Ghirardelli, Russell Stover, and Ferrara Candy Company will work together to make half of their individually wrapped products available in sizes that contain 200 calories or less per pack. And, 90 percent of the best-selling treats made by these companies will have calorie information printed right on the front of the pack. During the same time period, the newly established AlwaysATreat.com will evolve into a digital resource full of easy-to-use information for consumers to better understand the unique role that chocolate and candy can play in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com. **

About The Author

Anna Palmer is a senior Washington correspondent for POLITICO and co-author of POLITICO’s Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for the biggest influencers in politics.

Anna covers the world of Congress and politics, and has successfully chronicled the business of Washington insiders for years. Her stories take readers behind the scenes for the biggest fights in Washington as well as the 2016 election.

Prior to becoming POLITICO’s senior Washington correspondent, Anna was the co-author of the daily newsletter, POLITICO Influence, considered a must-read on K Street.

Anna previously covered House leadership and lobbying as a staff writer for Roll Call. She got her start in Washington journalism as a lobbying business reporter for the industry newsletter Influence. She has also worked at Legal Times, where she covered the intersection of money and politics for the legal and lobbying industry, first as a staff writer and then as an editor.

A native of North Dakota, Anna is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where she was executive editor of the weekly campus newspaper, the Manitou Messenger. She lives in Washington, D.C.

About The Author

Dave Levinthal reports on political influence issues for POLITICO. Before joining POLITICO, Dave worked for two years as editor of OpenSecrets.org at the Center for Responsive Politics, where he oversaw the Center's original journalism and provided analysis to hundreds of television, radio and print news outlets.

Between 2003 and 2009, Dave reported on Dallas City Hall for The Dallas Morning News, and from 2000 to 2002, covered the New Hampshire Statehouse for the Lawrence (Mass.) Eagle-Tribune. He graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in newspaper journalism and political philosophy and edited The Daily Orange.

Some may argue, but there is no more dedicated Bills fan than this Buffalo, N.Y., native.